//------------------------------// // Broken // Story: Once Beyond the Gates // by Quill Scribe //------------------------------// Once Beyond the Gates ~Quill Scribe~ Chapter 1 – Broken ​A rhythmic beeping wound its way into my dreams, slowly dragging me unwillingly into consciousness. I tried to open my eyes and was forced to squint because of the brightness. White was everywhere, the walls, ceiling, and bed. As my eyes began to adjust the room came into focus. ​I groaned in recognition of where I was. I was always sick when I was younger, needing to be hospitalized several times. This place was really nothing new to me. I caught movement out of the corner of my vision. I turned my head and saw a brown mare hovering nearby my bed. ​“M-mommy?” I wheezed. My throat was scratchy and dry, my cracked lips barely allowed me to speak. ​The mare turned to face me. A blonde mane framed her aging face. “I'm glad you are awake, little one. I need to go get the doctor so he can check on you now that you are up.” She smiled at me as she walked out of the room. ​That wasn't her. Where is she? She never leaves me alone at the doctor's. ​Several minutes later, an orange stallion in a white coat walked into the room. He set his papers down on the counter and shuffled through them, setting some aside in a clipboard. ​“Good morning kiddo. Can you tell me your name?” the doctor asked. ​“Sigil Silverlight.” my voice cracked again painfully. I looked pleadingly at the doctor. “I'm so thirsty.” ​The doctor studied me carefully for a moment and perused his clipboard. I almost thought he'd deny my request when finally he passed me a cup of water with little sponges in it. ​“You can't drink the water yet. Suck it out of these sponges for now. You have been asleep for a very long time. Can you tell me where you are?” ​I greedily stuffed some of the sponges in my mouth, reveling in the moisture. Finally, when my mouth no longer felt like sandpaper, I placed them back in the cup and said, “Hospital?” ​The doctor levitated a notepad and pen and made some notes. “Alright Sigil, do you know how you got here?” ​I shook my head from side to side. ​The doctor looked at me. “You and your mother were brought here by a family of apple farmers from a nearby town. They found the two of you near the road from Canterlot to Ponyville. Do you remember what happened to you?” ​“Some bad ponies tried to hurt mommy and I fell. Can I see her soon?” I felt my heart start to pick up speed. ​Why isn't she here? Is she hurt too? ​The doctor grimaced. He seemed to choose his next words carefully. “Please be patient for a few moments. I need to run a few tests. I promise I'll tell you after.” ​I lay still in the hospital bed, leaving the doctor to his ministrations. I could feel him poking and prodding at me, checking my vitals, and finally my reflexes. I had to resist the urge to giggle several times when he inadvertently tickled me. I couldn't understand why at the time, but for some reason the doctor stopped just as he got to my hind legs. The doctor frowned after several more moment hovering over my hind legs. “Can you move each of your legs a little, one at a time?” ​I looked down at myself. I wiggled my forelegs each individually, and then tried my hind legs. Not even a twitch. I frowned and tried again but to no avail. My mind started to race. I realized after a few seconds that they felt like they weren't there at all. ​The doctor placed a hoof gently on my shoulder. He must have seen the panic that had to have been evident on my face. I looked up at the him, my heart pounding away in my chest, and choked on my next words. ​“I can't feel them.” ​The doctor made a few more notes, finally he looked at me. “You've been in an accident. I don't know the circumstances, but you were brought to us in very bad shape,” he glanced down at his notes and continued, “You were unconscious and unresponsive when you came in. We had to revive you with a shock spell. You've been asleep for two months. Finally judging by my initial tests you seem have lost the use of your hind legs.” ​My eyes stung as tears began to stream down my cheeks. I couldn't handle this on my own. ​“What... about mommy?” I said, my ears flattened against my skull and my mane fell past them to partially cover my face. ​The doctor's face fell. “I'm very sorry Sigil. She was already gone when they brought her in.” ​The room seemed to spin around me as I was overtaken by nausea. Unable to process, I allowed blessed unconsciousness to take me. # ​The months that followed blended together in a blur. My days were strictly scheduled and packed with visits from the counselor, physical therapy to try to futilely regain my ability to walk, visits from a concerned nurse who read to me and comfort me as best she could, and finally being taught how to get around in a wheelchair. ​I began to withdraw into myself more and more as time went on. Staying in my room even when Nightmare Night, normally my favorite holiday, came and went. I borrowed books from the hospital library to read, from anatomy to neurology, anything that might help me gain control of my useless legs. The fact that I had always liked reading, coupled with my near eidetic memory, would help me retain the knowledge even if I didn't really understand it yet. Having never had many friends to interact with, reading served as my one real anchor. That and the ever present nurse who always seemed to know just the right thing to say. ​Nurse Heartstrings would spend more and more time with me. Reading to and with me, telling me about her day and her family. ​“My little filly Lyra got into Celestia's school today!” she said to me, a proud smile gracing her face. ​“Someday soon I'm sure you'll be going there. You're so bright after all.” I would smile at this. Even though I'd probably never get in it made me happy that she believed in me. ​“That colt next door was released. It always makes me so happy to see my patients get well enough to go home,” she would explain. ​It was nice to have that connection with somepony, even if I knew it would have to end when I got better. # ​"Come now Sigil, we have a very special guest today and I can't just let you stay in your room. Please try to get out a little," the brown nurse said softly. ​I looked up at her from behind my mane. I never really understood why nurse Heartstrings took such an interest in me, not that I was upset that she did. I sat up in my bed, and allowed her to set me down in my wheelchair. ​I just want to read, but she's always so nice to me, and seems like she really wants to help. I guess I can try to give her this without any trouble. ​Nurse Heartstrings, my ever faithful rock in a sea of misery and self pity, wheeled me down the hallways of the hospital and into a large room. It seemed to me that every filly and colt in the hospital well enough to be moved had been brought out here. ​"Mrs. Heartstrings, why are we here?" I asked. My voice was timid and shaky. I hid behind my long mane, only allowing one lens off my rose goggles to be visible. ​She gently placed a hoof on my head. "We have a very special guest today. She took time out of her very busy schedule so that she could see all of you." ​I looked towards the front of the room. A very large mare stepped through the doorway. Easily larger than any stallion I had ever seen. Her coat was almost as white as mine and her mane was a myriad of pastel colors waving in a nonexistent wind. Those weren't her most striking features to me however. What caught my eyes were her horn and wings. ​Wings and a horn? If only I had had wings or a horn that worked even a little... My thoughts trailed off as I glanced away from her. ​"Hello, my little ponies. My name is Princess Celestia. I'm here today to share with you all a story that is near and dear to my heart," She said softly, with a smile. ​The princess settled down on some cushions at the front of the room, opened a book that looked quite old, and began her story in a calming motherly voice. ​"This story begins with 'Once Upon A Time' because the best stories do, of course..." ​She then looked out over the gathering, her horn glowing softly as the pictures from the book sprang to life over our heads, she began her tale. ​“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night." ​I was transfixed, not so much by the story but by the intricate and careful magic reenacting it. ​"Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night." ​She took take a sip of water, maybe for a second or two longer than necessary, and gazed out at the expectant faces of her audience. ​"One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon." ​The children all gasped in unison, captivated by the storyteller. I stared at her intensely through my goggles. Celestia paused and smiled, then continued. ​“She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.” ​She closed the storybook, the slap of the pages causing her magical show to dissipate in a shower of harmless sparks. ​“And that my little ponies is the story of the Mare in the Moon." ​The colts and fillies all clapped their hooves, smiling brightly. An armor clad pony approached the princess, whispering something into her ear. Celestia stood and winked at us. ​"I'm sorry my little ponies but my work is never done. I hope to see you all better soon." ​Whiteness encroached on the edges of my vision. I saw a look of concern on nurse Heartstring's face. She quickly realized something was wrong. There was one pony missing from the celebrating and farewells. Her eyes turned towards me as I slumped over in my wheelchair. She rushed to my side and scooped my up as my consciousness faded away. # ​The colors and sounds of the outside world slowly registered as I became aware of my surroundings. I was walking out of a forest and towards a massive cave entrance. The acrid smell of soot and the taste of copper was in the air. I wasn't sure where I was or why I was there but my body seemed to move unbidden by my mind as though I were merely a passenger. ​I moved silently, seemingly cloaked by the night and shadows, through the cave. The only mark of my presence was the occasional clinking of coins on the ground as I trod over them. ​Eventually, I came to a massive chamber where I could hear the heavy breathing of something large. A faint glow illuminated an ancient dragon, with scales as black as coal, laying before me on a veritable mountain of shiny trinkets. It's eye opened at the soft sounds of my approach. It blinked and stared right at me. ​"Who dares disturb my slumber?" The dragon's voice rumbled thought the cavern, rattling loose some stones from the walls and ceiling. ​My body refused to respond. I wanted to run, or at least try to convince the beast not to eat me, but my body moved inexorably forward. The dragon reared up and roared at me. It swung one massive scaly hand at me. Strangely, it felt as thought it passed right through me, leaving a cold chill. A moment later, I felt myself growing stronger as the color seeped away from the dragon's limb. ​The dragon roared in pain as the colorless limb crumbled away at the elbow. For the first time in what must have been many centuries fear graced its eyes. Still my body drew ever closer. I felt myself place an inky black paw on the cornered dragon's chest. ​Wait, a paw? I thought to myself. ​The dragon's anger faded, a final feral scream escaped its maw as the colors drained from its body. The dragon seemed to crumble; a roar and gout of flames dying in its throat. It's white ashes fading from existence. ​I felt the rush of the dragon's power flowing through my surrogate body. I felt myself turn to exit the cave. Once outside my eyes drawn to the moon. Four stars slowly drifted towards it. A roar escaped my throat, a deep booming sound that shook the very mountainside on which I stood. ​My surroundings seemed to dissolve as another scene rose up around me. I was trotting down a stone passageway. I could feel the impact each time my hooves touched the floor. My wings fluttered nervously as I opened a door inlaid with gold. ​I saw Celestia pacing wearily in her chambers. The aggravation evident on her face seemed to give whatever was driving my body cause to stop. ​"Captain Barricade, do tell me what matter was so important that I needed to be pulled away from my favorite pass-time to see you personally," she said in a commanding tone. ​My body, or more accurately Captain Barricade's body, stiffened to attention. I could feel words leaving my throat in a mare's rich voice. ​"Your highness, we have been getting reports from our scouts along the Gryphon Empire's border that there has been a large influx of troops to the area. There are also rumors of gryphon patrols vanishing. Most disconcerting is the complete disappearance of a border town on the gryphon's side of the mountain range." ​Celestia frowned at this. "I need you to deploy troops to the border keep and contact the gryphon ambassador." ​Captain Barricade saluted sharply and marched down to the barracks to attend to her duties. # ​I woke in my hospital bed. I felt the heat of somepony nearby. Nurse Heartstrings was sleeping restlessly in a chair next to me, slumped over with her head on my pillow. I shifted to curl up close to her and closed my eyes, drifting into a restless sleep. ​Nurse Heartstrings was jolted back into the waking world by my sobbing. ​"Please don't go mommy. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough. I promise I can do better." I cried softly, lost in my thoughts as the memories of my loss played over in my mind. ​A sympathetic tear ran down her cheek. She nuzzled me gently and whispered, "It's not your fault little one. I can't bring her back to you but I promise you won't have to be alone anymore." ​She wore a look of determination on her face as she left. She must have thought I was talking in my sleep, she was obviously trying to be very quiet. I closed my eyes again, hoping the vivid nightmares wouldn't return. # ​I woke again sometime after noon for my physical therapy session. I donned my goggles and lowered myself into a wheelchair and began to make my way to the physical therapy office. ​When I got halfway there I noticed many doctors filing into the hospital auditorium. I rolled my chair over and read the sign. ​"'Prosthetics Symposium: Restored Mobility for a Better Equestria'. This could be interesting." I muttered to myself. I scanned the hallway for doctors and nurses and quietly made my way inside. ​I wheeled myself to a corner near the stage to get a better view. The lights dimmed, and one by one the speakers came to the stage to show off what they believed to be the “next big innovation”. I was about to leave when I saw the final speaker. A mustard-colored pegasus stallion who was accompanied by an earth pony mare in a lab coat. ​The mare cleared her throat and began her speech. "Whether we realize it or not, we all know somepony who could benefit from something seen here today, from the jointed limb braces to the magic run wheelchairs. What you are about to see is truly innovative!" ​The pegasus stallion stepped forward and spread his wings to full extension. His left wing was much smaller, barely a third of it remained. ​"My patient here was struck by lightning, in his own right he is lucky to even be alive. I say alive isn't enough!" she exclaimed with a flourish. She opened a large suitcase to reveal a metal wing. It had individual feathers and a pulley system that enabled it to flap, albeit rather jerkily. She strapped the prosthetic onto her patient's damaged wing. ​The audience began to murmur among themselves. Most seemed divided as to whether this would work. The doctor spoke up above the crowd. "Behold, I return to you the gift of flight!" ​The pegasus began to flap, slowly at first, both wings in synch. As he felt himself lift off the ground, a blissful smile crept onto his face, like a pony lost in the desert who finally found civilization. While he rose into the air I looked on in amazement. One instinctive thought bubbled to the surface of my mind. ​Oh Celestia, I need to see their designs! I thought as I stared with wide eyes. ​As the ponies at the symposium filed out, I carefully followed the mare doctor. ​I wonder how I could get into the briefcase she's carrying, I thought. That's when they passed into the waiting room and I saw it, a foal with a bouncy ball. ​My magic has never been very strong, but here it should be up to the task, I mused. I gritted my teeth, snatched the ball mid-bounce with a silvery light and rolled it at the feet of the doctor. She slipped and nearly fell, dropping her briefcase. ​I wheeled over to her, and carefully used my magic to pop open the briefcase and release a few lose papers. While the doctor recovered from her near fall I browsed through a few of the designs, quickly committing them to memory. ​They may not make sense now, but with some study I should be able to do something with these, I made haste getting back to my room. ​I pulled out a bound journal and quill that I had been given and started to reproduce what I had seen while it was fresh in the lockbox of my memory. # ​It snowed that Hearthswarming Eve. ​I watched the puffs of white falling to the ground through the auditorium window, rather than watch the pageant everyone had attended. I was supposed to be released tomorrow. Having been at the hospital for nearly six months after my injuries it was really past due. ​“I just wish they could have waited for it to be warmer,” I muttered. I wouldn't miss this place, but it was safe here, and then there was Nurse Heartstrings. There was no telling what I would go through out there on my own. ​I have no family. So I guess it's off to an orphanage then. My thoughts caused me to grimace. ​The blanket of white outside reminded me of all the good times I had celebrating the holiday with my mother. A small smile crept onto my face because of the reverie. I may have loved Nightmare Night but Hearthswarming meant family time. Sled rides, snowball fights, snow ponies, all with her. ​A tear rolled down my cheek as I took in a shuddering breath. I didn't immediately notice the three ponies who sat down in the seats around me. A foreleg was gently placed around my shoulders and pulled me closer. I turned to see who was comforting me. ​I thought everypony would be home with their families tonight. I pondered as I turned to look at the ponies around me. ​"Mrs Heartstrings? Why aren't you at home with your family?" I asked. Not that I minded the company, but everypony deserved to be with the ponies they loved tonight. ​Nurse Heartstrings smiled gently at me. "Our family is right here," she said, gesturing to the dark green stallion and the light green filly. ​"Our...?" I looked confusedly at them. ​My thoughts carried my mind away, No, they barely know me. I'm just a patient. They couldn't possibly... ​The stallion ruffled my mane and placed a folded paper on my lap. I opened it and started to read. ​"Lower Day Court of Canterlot: ​In the matter of the petition of: Clair-Anette and Arpeggio Heartstrings for the adoption of a child." ​I stopped, stunned for a moment, and continued further down. There was lots of official sounding paragraphs that meant nothing to me. ​"It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the Final Decree of Adoption for the child is hereby granted, and that the name of the child is hereby retained as Sigil Silverlight and that the child shall be and is hereby, entitled to all rights and privileges and subject to all obligations of a child pursuant to statute." ​I looked up at them, not noticing that the tears streaming down my cheeks were staining the paper. ​All three members of the Heartstrings family smiled at me. Claire finally broke the silence. ​"Come on Siggy. It's time to go home."